Table Pan and Pan Divider for Countertop

ABSTRACT

In a table pan counter, each counter is intended to hold discreet table pans. At least one of said table pans includes an essentially flat solid substantially rectilinear geometry having a major axis and a minor axis, an open top, and walls having major and minor axis-parallel interior and exterior surfaces, a pan having edges proportioned for conformal engagement with void spaces within the counter tops, each interior major surface of each pan provided with equidistantly spaced pairs of opposing channels within opposing respective major interior surfaces. Further provided are major axis separators having vertical side edges proportioned for complemental engagement within opposing channels within respective major interior surfaces. Food servings of like size and geometry are assured by the provision of the separators. Separators may also be provided along the minor axis of the pan, and may be formed of either wire-like or flat integral materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a food portion size defining system for use with table pans and counters of a type employed in cafeterias and institutional establishments.

B. Prior Art

The serving of food portions of like size in settings such as cafeterias, whether in a private or public context, has proven to be challenging for food service administrations. The prior art in this area is represented in the drawings of FIGS. 1 and 2, both of which are labeled “Prior Art.” It is however to be appreciated that table pan counters may assume other configurations and, as well, the major axis of each table pan may be parallel to the front of the standard table pan arrangement shown in FIG. 1. In fact, as is set forth below, the placement of the primary axis of a standard countertop table pan in a position parallel with the front of the countertop has been found to offer a number of advantages in the use of the present invention, although the same may be effectively employed regardless of the relationship of the major axis of the counter serving pans to the front of a counter or countertop within which the pan is located.

In addition to the prior art shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a representative food serving pan is set forth in U.S. Design Pat. No. D559,613 (2008) to DeMirjian, entitled Food Serving Pan.

Some efforts have appeared in the prior art to produce serving trays or the like in which the size of a food portion may be predetermined. Such efforts appear in U.S. Pat. No. 5,790,718 (1998) to Tenner, entitled Food Portion Inventory Device With Imprinted Predetermined Date Indicia; and U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2010/0326250 (2010) to Parr, entitled Container For Producing Predetermined Food Portion. The primary application of Parr is in the area of baking or bakeware and does not provide a convenient system for separation of food within table pans of the type used in cafeterias and the like into definable food portions in a practical fashion.

Further, none of the prior art teaches a combination of a serving spoon particularly configured to optimize serving of the food portion to a defined size in combination with a table pan which has been so adapted.

The present invention therefore addresses the above long felt need in the art for a food portion size defining system having particular utility with table pans and counters of the type employed in cafeterias as well as public and private establishments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a table pan counter or counter top employed by a restaurant or institutional establishment, each counter or counter top is intended to hold a plurality of discreet table pans. At least one of said table pans comprises: an essentially flat solid substantially rectilinear geometry having a major axis and a minor axis, an open top, and walls having major and minor axis-parallel interior and exterior surfaces, said at least one pan having edges proportioned for conformal engagement with void spaces within said counters or counter tops, each interior major surface of said pan provided with a plurality of equidistantly spaced pairs of opposing channels within opposing respective major interior surfaces of said walls; and a plurality of major axis separators, vertical side edges thereof proportioned for complemental engagement within said opposing channels within said respective major interior surfaces, in which food servings of like sizes and geometry are assured by the provision of said separators, the position thereof defined by each pairs of opposing channels. Each table pan may also be separated along its minor axis.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved standard table pan used in cafeterias, restaurants and institutional establishments to provide to the server the ability to divide food portions into equal quantities, thereby alleviating from restaurant employees the requirement to self-judge the amount of food to serve to a given customer.

It is another object to provide a table pan for use with a counter top of the type employed in cafeterias, restaurants and the like which assures that neither too much nor too little food of a give portion will be served to a customer.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a system of the above type in which a chef can prepare large quantity or batch of food and divide the servings equally in accordance with whatever size is appropriate to the customer type, for example, a child (as in the case of a school setting) versus an adult portion, while allowing gravy, sauces, liquids and the like to freely flow between dividers which separate the defined food portions, as is the case with dishes such as beef stew.

The above and yet other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the hereinafter set forth Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description of the Invention and Claims appended herewith.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical table pan counter as used by an institutional establishment such as a cafeteria.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a counter top portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a table minor axis pan in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a table pan separator employed in the manner shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a major axis table pan separator employed in the manner shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the inventive table pan system.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along Line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a spoon optionally usable in accordance with the present system.

FIG. 9 is an operational view showing the cooperative relationship in the use of spoon of FIG. 8 with the system shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the views of FIGS. 1 and 2, the prior art may be seen to include a countertop 10, also known as a table pan counter, of a type typically employed by institutional establishments such as a cafeteria within a school, church, government office building, correctional facility, or the like. Such table pan counters typically employ an upper surface 12 upon which items unconnected with the serving of the meal proper may be located.

Within said counter top are typically disposed a plurality of discrete table pan 14, this as may be noted in FIGS. 1 and 2. Periodically, groups of table pans will be separated by a counter portion 16 as may be noted in the perspective view of FIG. 1 and the top view of the countertop shown in FIG. 2.

As may be appreciated from the view of FIG. 2, each table pan 14 is characterized by an essentially flat solid substantially rectilinear geometry having a major axis 18 and a minor axis 20. The table pan is also defined by an open top such that the food therein may be accessed, and walls 22 and 24 having respective axes parallel to said axes 18 and 20 respectively, each wall having an interior and an exterior surface. The interior surfaces thereof are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

As may be noted he views of FIGS. 2 and 3, countertop 10 is provided with a plurality of void spaces (not shown) having a geometry such that edges 26 and 28 of each pan are proportioned for complemental engagement within void spaces of the counters or counter tops such that pans 14 are held securely therein. The standard dimension of a table pan divider is 21 inches long by 10.5 inches wide by 4 inches deep.

Shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 is a pan 14 constructed according to the present invention, the most salient feature of which are a plurality of equidistantly spaced pairs of opposing channels 30. As may be seen, a plurality of such pairs of channel 30 are provided along the major interior wall 22, while only a single pair of channels 32 is typically provided along the minor interior wall 24 of each pan 14 although, as noted in FIG. 6, additional channel pairs 34 may also be provided. It is to be appreciated that in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the major and minor axis of the counter pain is reversed from that shown in the prior art of FIGS. 1 and 2, so that food servings, after separation as described herein, may be more readily accessed.

In a preferred embodiment, front surface 36 of each pan 14 will typically be rounded at lower area 38 (see FIGS. 3, 6 and 9). The above-described arrangement of vertical channels 30 and 32 are utilized through the use of separators 40 and 42, shown in FIGS. 4-6. As may be noted, separators 42 are used in conjunction with channel pairs 30 to define the width or major axis dimension of each food portion situated between major axis separators 42. In like fashion, minor axis separator 40 is positioned within opposing groove pairs 32 to define the minor axis size of each portion of food which is served.

It is to be noted that said separators 40 and 42 are preferably formed of a plurality of parallel wire-like elements 46 in the case of major axis separator 42. It should be further noted that minor axis separator 40 is provided with vertical linear ends 48 which complementally engage said channel pairs 32 of pan 14 while major axis separators 42 are provided with a linear rear edge 50 and a front edge 52 which is generally parallel with rear edge 50, with the exception of the lower right curve portion 54 thereof which is generally conformal in geometry to front rear portion 36 of the serving pan. Edges 50 and 52 of major axis separators 42 therefore fit complentally within opposing channel pairs 30 within the interior surface of each pan. It is to be noted that the separators 40 and 42 when assembled in the fashion shown in FIG. 6 permit the major axis separators 42 to fit within spaces 56 between the parallel portions of minor axis separator 40. The use of such an arrangement of substantially parallel wire elements for the respective separators 40 and 42 permits gravy, sauces and the like of the served food to migrate from one portion to an adjacent or adjoining portion. It is also to be noted that once all servings in a front region 58 have been served, the minor axis separator 40 may be removed so that the server or self-server in the case of certain cafeterias may then begin to access food from the rear region 60 of the inventive table pan system.

A representative geometry of channels 30 is shown in the cross-sectional view of Line 7-7 of FIG. 6. See FIG. 7 of the drawings.

With reference to FIG. 8, there is shown a spoon 62 which is particularly adapted to generally conform to rounded front portion 38 of front 36 of the pan 14 to enable the server or self-server to more efficiently scoop all or part of a serving portion out of regions 58 or 60 of the serving pan 14. Spoon 62 may of course be used in other fashions by the server, for example, for the placement of additional sauce, gravy, or to place side dish with the primary meal served in the pan. FIG. 9 is an operational view showing the manner in which spoon 62 may be used to remove a food portion from pan 14.

In a further embodiment, either or both separators may comprise flat integral panels, as opposed to a wire-like surface. That is, integral separators may be used interchangeably with wire-like separators, as may be indicated by the type of food served.

While there has been shown and described above the preferred embodiment of the instant invention it is to be appreciated that the invention may be embodied otherwise than is herein specifically shown and described and that, within said embodiment, certain changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the underlying ideas or principles of this invention as set forth in the Claims appended herewith. 

I claim:
 1. In a table pan counter or counter top employed by an institutional establishment, each counter or counter top intended to hold a plurality of discreet table pans, at least one of said table pans comprising: (a) an essentially flat solid substantially rectilinear geometry having a major axis and a minor axis, an open top, and walls having major and minor axis-parallel interior and exterior surfaces, said one pan having edges proportioned for conformal engagement with void spaces within said counters or counter tops, each interior major surface of said pan provided with a plurality of equidistantly spaced pairs of opposing channels within opposing respective major interior surfaces; and (b) a plurality of major axis separators, vertical side edges thereof proportioned for complemental engagement within said opposing channels within said respective major interior surfaces, whereby food servings of like size and geometry are assured by the provision of said separators, the position thereof defined by each pairs of opposing channels.
 2. The table pan as recited in claim 1, in which said solid rectilinear geometry further includes: at least one pair of opposing channels within said respective minor interior surfaces of said pan; and at least one minor axis separator having vertical edges thereof proportioned for complemental engagement with said ridges in opposing minor interior surfaces of said pan, whereby food servings of like size and geometry are assured by the provision of said separators.
 3. The table pan as recited in claim 1, in which each of said separators comprise a plurality of wire-like elements.
 4. The pan as recited in claim 3, in which each at least one pair of wire-like separators defines a plurality of pairs of wire-like elements in which each element is substantially parallel with each other element.
 5. The pan as recited in claim 2, in which said separators comprise flat integral surfaces.
 6. The pan as recited in claim 2, in which said major axis separators comprise a wire-like structure and said minor axis separators comprise flat integral surfaces.
 7. The pan as recited in claim 2, in which said minor axis separators comprise a wire-like structure and said major axis separators comprise integral surfaces.
 8. The pan as recited in claim 2, in which a forward facing major surface of said pan defines a curved surface substantially complemental in curvature to that of a lower surface of serving spoon proportioned for use with said table pan and generally proportioned in size to a portion of food to be served by compartments of said table pan defined by said pluralities of separators.
 9. The pan as recited in claim 2, in which a forward facing major surface of said pan defines a curved surface substantially complemental in curvature to that of a lower surface of serving spoon proportioned for use with said table pan and generally proportioned in size to a portion of food to be served by compartments of said table pan defined by said pluralities of separators.
 10. The pan as recited in claim 2, in which each at least one pair of wire-like separators defines a plurality of pairs of wire-like elements in which each element is substantially parallel with each other element. 